Defibrillation method

• US 4,996,984 A
• Filed: 09/26/1989
• Issued: 03/05/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Eli Lilly and Company
• Inventors: Sweeney, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamm, William E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Getzow, Scott M.
• Application Number:
  US07/412,753
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• Field of Search: 128/419 D
• US Class Current: 607/5
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3904 External heart defibrillators [EHD]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3956 Implantable devices for applying electric shocks to the heart, e.g. for cardioversion
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3987 characterised by the timing or triggering of the shock

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for defibrillating a mammal in need of defibrillation employing multiple bursts of electrical current delivered to the mammal, the timing between said bursts being based upon the mammal'"'"'s fibrillation cycle length.

Claims

1. A method of defibrillating a mammal in need of defibrillation comprising:

(a) first determining the mammal'"'"'s fibrillation cycle length; and

(b) then administering to said mammal a plurality of bursts of electrical current delivered sequentially to said mammal, adjusting the timing between said bursts based upon said mammal'"'"'s fibrillation cycle length.

2. A method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of bursts consists of two bursts.

3. A method of claim 2 wherein the timing between the two bursts of electrical current is from about 30% to about 200% of the mammal'"'"'s fibrillation cycle length.

4. A method of claim 3 wherein the timing between bursts is from about 60% to about 85% of the mammal'"'"'s fibrillation cycle length.

5. A method of claim 4 wherein the timing between bursts is about 75% of the mammal'"'"'s fibrillation cycle length.

6. A method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of bursts consists of three bursts.

7. A method of claim 1 wherein the timing between each pair of bursts of electrical current is independently from about 30% to about 200% of the mammal'"'"'s fibrillation cycle length.

8. A method of claim 7 wherein the timing between each pair of bursts is independently from about 60% to about 85% of the mammal'"'"'s fibrillation cycle length.

9. A method of claim 8 wherein the timing between each pair of bursts is independently about 75% of the mammal'"'"'s fibrillation cycle length.

10. A method of claim 1 wherein the bursts of electrical current are administered within the body of the mammal.

11. A method of claim 10 wherein the plurality of bursts consists of two bursts.

12. A method of claim 10 wherein the voltage of each burst is from about 20 volts to about 800 volts.

13. A method of claim 12 wherein the voltage is from about 100 volts to about 500 volts.

14. A method of claim 13 wherein the voltage is from about 200 volts to about 300 volts.

15. A method of claim 10 wherein the timing between each pair of bursts of electrical current is independently from about 30% to about 200% of the mammal'"'"'s fibrillation cycle length.

16. A method of claim 15 wherein the timing between each pair of bursts is independently from about 60% to about85% of the mammal'"'"'s fibrillation cycle length.

17. A method of claim 16 wherein the timing between each pair of bursts is independently about 75% of the mammal'"'"'s fibrillation cycle length.

18. A method of claim 16 wherein the plurality of bursts consists of two bursts;

the current of each burst is from about 4 amps to about 10 amps;

the voltage of each burst is from about 200 volts to about 300 volts; and

the duration of each burst is from about 8 milliseconds to about 15 milliseconds.

19. A method of claim 18 wherein each burst is a standard truncated exponential waveform burst.

20. A method of claim 1 wherein the current of each burst is from about 0.4 amps to about 16 amps.

21. A method of claim 20 wherein the current is from about 4 amps to about 10 amps.

22. A method of claim 1 wherein the duration of each burst is from about 1 millisecond to about 40 milliseconds.

23. A method of claim 22 wherein the duration of each burst is from about 5 milliseconds to about 25 milliseconds.

24. A method of claim 23 wherein the duration of each burst is from about 8 milliseconds to about 15 milliseconds.

25. A method of claim 1 wherein each burst is a standard truncated exponential waveform burst.

26. A method of defibrillating a mammal in need of defibrillation comprising:

(a) first determining the mammal'"'"'s fibrillation cycle length; and

(b) then administering to said mammal two bursts of electrical current delivered sequentially to said mammal;

the current of each burst being from about 4 amps to about 10 amps;

the voltage of each burst being from about 200 volts to about 300 volts;

the duration of each burst being from about 8 milliseconds to about 15 milliseconds; and

adjusting the timing between bursts to about 75% of the mammal'"'"'s fibrillation cycle length.

27. A method of claim 26 wherein each burst is a standard truncated exponential waveform burst.